Peaces

Banff Mountain Film Festival

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:30:00 +0000

I can't wait for this to happen on April 16th

Seymour Rambles About Sexuality in the Church

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:31:00 +0000

I couldn't have put it better myself, so I wont. Below is a post I copied from my buddy Chase Moore (C. Moore=Seymour).

Chew on this:

It’s time to begin discussing sexuality in our churches, small groups, friend groups, and relationships. For far too long the church has swept issues such as pornography, masturbation, and homosexuality under the rug; labeling them as “taboo.” To be honest, I think this is one of the biggest strongholds that the enemy has on the body of Christ; using fear and embarrassment to keep brothers and sisters from sharing what is really going on regarding their sexuality.

Let’s talk about pornography and masturbation to junior high and high school students - they have all seen the stuff already. Let’s talk about body image and the way God sees women to young girls who are struggling with eating disorders and abusive relationships. Let’s talk about homosexuality to the congregation and welcome gays and lesbians into our doors. Let’s learn how to have healthy sexual relationships according to how God wants us to do it, not how the world says to do it.

The longer these things are hidden, the more destructive they will be - period. Women, I encourage you to seek out your mentor or friends to talk to. Men, I encourage you to do the same. (Just don’t go to your boyfriend/girlfriend and spill about your addiction to porn, things will get real messy.)

Let us begin the process of learning not only how to love better, but how to enjoy God’s gift of sex and sexuality the way he intended it to be because if you haven’t figured it out by now, he created us as sexual beings.

Thankful for honesty, humility, embarrassment, healing, awkwardness, and tearing down strongholds of the enemy.

Thankful for: Dudes like Chase

a perfect day at mary jane!

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

berthoud pass was closed 3 hours this morning. thats just long enought to keep people away from winter park all together. thankfully , my bride and i came up last night! fresh powder. blue bird skies. no lines. best day. thank you jesus.

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I'm honored to be a part of this new chapter at DenSem

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:05:00 +0000

I could listen to the words for Dr. Grounds at the beginning of this video and the those of Dr. Young at the end over and over again and still feel overwhelmingly challenged and compelled by the Gospel.

Check it out...

March Madness

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:19:00 +0000

I don't follow basketball and I've never filled out a bracket but I do experience a kind of March Madness of my own. It is best described by this excerpt from the Wilderness Exchange Newsletter:

"Here in the Front Range, March can be a time of great confusion. The snow is still dumping in the mountains, the local crags are getting warm and sunny, and everything is coming to life in the hills. Do you go skiing or go rock climbing? Trail running or hiking? What if it snows 16" on the night you're leaving for a weekend of climbing at Shelf?"

To climb or to ski? That is the question....

Good Morning! It's time to smile :)

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:26:00 +0000

Community at Denver Seminary

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:21:00 +0000

It happened again. The community tossed around like a rag doll today at a lunch meeting I was a part of and I felt bad for it. Poor community. You always get beat up and no one is ever satisfied with you. People are always talking about how you are not around and if you are, you aren't very good at your job. In reality, I'm not sure if people really know much about you, community. They talk about you with a glimmer in their eye like you are something we will never really meet and get to know. Then, after they use some romantic and pie-in-the-sky words, they droop their head and say things like, "Why can't we just have community round here?" or, "I sure wish there was a better community in this place." I'm sorry community but I don't think people would realize that you're here if you punched them right in the throat.

Yes, I really do think this is how people treat the issue of community and no, I do not talk to concepts.....very often.

Actually, the conversation I had at lunch today was really fruitful and I appreciated the interest our hosts had in the opinion of the students. I guess the topic of "community" just got me thinking again about how we assume that the things we cannot see do not actually exist. Or, and this is so often the case, we are so set in our definition of something that we cannot possible see it when it is right under our nose. Community, for instance, is one of those things in my opinion. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again as long as it's still true, community is a hot Christian buzz word and we love to talk about it without really talking about anything or substance.

Sometimes when I'm with a group of people and "community" is the topic of conversation I feel like a little blue haried lady sitting around with her friends playing Bridge and talking about someone behind their back for an hour and a half. What's worse is we are completely oblivious that, in many cases, our problem isn't community per se but awaremenss of what and where community is. Here are some obsevations I've made:

Christians often assume that they must see community in order for it to exist. Furthermore, they think that they must experience their own definition of community in order for it to exist. Why don't we ever ask where community is taking place instead of assuming it simple is not. Could it be that there isn't what some would call "community" on the campus of Denver Seminary because people are deeply involved in the communities of their local church, para church, counseling center or workplace? Dare I suggest that community can take place in some contexts and not others and that's perfectly alright?
We throw around the term "community" like everyone holds to the exact same verbatim definition of what it is. How can we do this when people rarely talk about community in the context of Scripture? If they do, they almost always use Acts 2 and end up saying things like, "Why can't we have community like that?!" I'll tell you why: YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF THE FIRST CENTURY APOSTOLIC CHURCH. I hate to break it to you but Acts 2 is far more descriptive than it is prescriptive. That is, although there are certainly principles to be drawn from it, it is not necessarily a mandated command for how we must "live in community." There is an wealth of information in Scripture about what community is all about but we rarely use it as a foundation for how we go about it.
Our personal and very unique definition of community almost always stems from a particular experience we had for a limited amount of time in a setting that was not realistic. I'm not sure why we do this but it's definitely the cause of lots of googly-eyed facial expressions, whimsically romantic language, and, sadly, lots of disappointment and failed expectations. When we look to the two year period in which we lived on campus in college and call that "real" community, we are setting ourselves up for inevitable disappointment. YOU WILL NEVER LIVE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS AGAIN (probably). I hear the same talk from people who have worked at summer camps. "Man, I sure wish I could create that camp community back at home." No you don't. If you're an American you can probably only healthily handle about three months of living with and being around 10 people of the same gender under one roof in bunk beds. Yes, camp is awesome but it is not reality. It is a vacation from reality by it's very nature.

I'm going to call it quits at that. I have many more opinions on this topic but I feel better having gotten that off my chest and that's really what this blog is for anyways.

Next time: a Scriptural analysis of what community is and looks like. For now: quit complaining about lack of community and open your eyes to community that is around you.

"I'm busy" is a terrible reason to avoid commitment

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:25:00 +0000

Whenever people start talking about committing to a weekly or even monthly meeting or event, the response from every member in the group is always the same: "I'm just so busy right now."

BREAKING NEWS: So is everyone else in America!

busyness is the new average. We are all busy and we all have a ton of stuff going on. This is not an issue I mean to sweep under the rug since it can definitely do great harm to individuals and families alike. However, the fact of the matter is, we are all busy. Some people are legitimately busy and have very little time for much else. Others include their 10 hours of TV shows a week as a "commitment." Whatever the case may be, there are few people sitting around on their butts these days looking for things to commit to.

Even recent plummet in employment has not kept people from being busy. My dad always says, "looking for a full time job is a full time job in and of itself," and I think he's right. Most people are doing a lot of stuff which makes busyness a bad excuse and, in many cases, a cop out.

I like to look to my buddy Timmy for an example in most things and this one of them. When he hasn't called me back in a while and then we finally get the chance to talk on the phone he says, "I'm sorry I didn't make time to call you sooner." He's very careful not to say "have time." You see, Timmy understands that we are all busy and could walk around blaming the clock for not doing things. In reality, however, we make time for the things we care about and see as important. The same things goes for regular commitments. Everyone has time for a weekly or monthly small group. Everyone has time to pray for an hour a day. Everyone has time for coffee with a friend here and there. Busyness isn't the issue here. Priorities are the issue.

Before we say "I'm too busy," let's ask ourselves if we are simply not making time for things that we should.

Generational Ecclesiology

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:32:00 +0000

We had an interesting discussion at the beginning of our spiritual formation group meeting today. The topic: ecclesiology from one generation to the other.

The topic came about as we were talking about how some churches have bowling lanes, swimming pools, stadium seating, a masseuse, and a petting zoo and how we don't think those are things churches should have. I raised the following question, "Do you think the pastors of those churches sat around while they were in seminary and in their twenties talking about how stupid some churches are with their finances/mission?" I asked that because I wonder if our thoughts stem from simple inexperience. Maybe when we lead a congregation of our own we'll all of a sudden understand the desire of a pastor to have a personal chef work in his office.....maybe not.

My buddy Bobby made a good point. He said that the way churches are run has to be generational. Right now, the American pulpit is represented by our parent's generation. Now, our parent's generation isn't any more materialistic than any other American generation, but it does have very different goal set and definition of success. Think about it. Most of us who are in our twenties have parents that believe in providing for the family as a non-negotiable virtue. There is no exception to this rule. Our parents suffer through jobs that they hate as long as it puts food on the table, clothes on our backs, and lands us in a suburban neighborhood with a low crime rate and a high income rate. Essentially, the American Dream is still alive and well with our parents generation.

Now, translate that model and work ethic to church ministry remembering that the people in the pulpit of most churches are our parent's age. They want the best for their "family." They will work hard and do whatever it takes to provide the best facilities, activities and opportunities for the "family" that they lead. Over time that model for ministry can easily turn into a "bigger and better" methodology that is justified in the minds of church leaders because of their generational set of values.

Let's take a look at our generation for a second. We are a little more experimental aren't we? People our age are OK with living in an unsafe, run down apartment in New York City if it means they'll have an adventure, get to try new things, and do a job that they love even if two other jobs are required to pay rent. The drive and desire for success are still there but they are often times defined differently in our generation than they are in our parent's. Some may say that we are unruly and irresponsible but I think it again comes down to one's definition of success.

I know this all sounds super post modern but stick with me. Our generation is more experiencially driven. We want relationships and we don't want formulas. Our parent's generation wants security, low risk, and structure. As far as general efficiency goes, our parents win. A mega church is by far the most cost effective way to do church. The most amount of people are ministered to for the least amount of money on average. Our generation, however, is more "missionally" minded. That is not to say that our parents aren't missional but I think we are making a cultural shift towards a more missional ecclessiology and that's a big deal!

So, my generation finds itself sitting in coffee shops and pubs in our dark jeans and TOMS talking about how they can start a non-profit company that specializes in making shoes for one footed orphans in the two thirds world. Meanwhile, our parents (in general) are sitting around in the Applebees in suits and skirts talking about how they can get a pet polar bear for the children's ministry at their church. A different set of values for each generation.

I know I didn't address this issue in it's entirety and I know I stereotyped and generalized like crazy. Hopefully I did this equally. I love my parents and their generation so no need to get all riled up you over-the-hill folks! HA! kidding.

So, what do you think? Am I way off or will the next generation of American churches look entirely different than what we have now? Will our kids write similar posts about how crazy we are with our finances and ecclesiology only to begin their own movement for our grand kids to poke fun at?

Shooting at Deer Creek Middle

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:09:00 +0000

"To have something happen such as the Deer Creek incident opens wounds for many in this sleepy Colorado town."

Today, just down the road from Columbine High School, a man carried a gun o the campus of Deer Creek Middle School. He shot two kids before he was tackled by a brave 7th grade math teacher. Both children are expected to live and no one else was injured in the incident.

This was a sobering day in the life of Littleton residents. As the quote above indicates, many deep and life-changing wounds from the Columbine shooting were unexpectedly ripped open today. As a Littleton resident myself I wonder how this could happen in such a friendly and beautiful place. I wonder, "what could possibly be so bad about that person's life the he has to shoot at innocent kids?" Did that guy look West last night and see the sun set over the Rockies? Did he see the enourmouse snow flakes fall gracefully to the ground this past weekend? Did he see the kids playing and laughing on the school property before he went on his little rampage? Did he realize that his heart was beating and his chest rising and how miraculous those simple things are?

I wonder if what people are missing and longing for is right under their nose. Psalm 139:13 says that God created our inmost being and knit us together in our mother's wombs. I wonder if more people knew and believed that if things would be different. God knitted today's shooter together too, by the way. He was created and crafted as a part of God's ultimate and good plan. Had he known that, do you think he would have done what he did and caused this community such deep pain once again?

This has been both sobering and convicting for me. Events like this remind me that tomorrow is not promised but this one has served to challenge me as well. The Gospel has healing power like no counselor, psychologist, self-help book, or doctor ever will. The Gospel is the only source of true joy and contentment. I feel compelled to tell more people about after today. Maybe if more people know about Jesus' deep and everlasting love they will be less inclined to do the things we saw today at Deer Creek.

Spiritual Warfare (what to do about it)

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:53:00 +0000

I had an interesting conversation today about spiritual warfare and how to handle it. I'm still figuring it out but I'll take a stab at it from personal experience. SW is a funny thing isn't it? We read about it in Ephesians 6 and we hear about it every now and then from the pulpit but what are practical things we can do to engage in it and find victory in the end? First let's identify some of the ways it effects us: Dreams, Visions, Feelings, Emotions, Circumstances, Pain, Depression, Guilt, Physical Sensations, Confusion....

These are all common manifestations of SW and I have experienced the majority of them already in my lifetime. When I was in college I had huge problems with sleep. Not only did I suffer from sleep apnea but often times a mild form of insomnia. I eventually discovered that the root cause of all this was anxiety. I was living in a constant state of fear and that was making me terribly anxious. I was afraid of failure. I was afraid people would find out about my sin. I was afraid I wouldn't amount to anything or reach my full potential. I was afraid that God was disappointed in me. I was afraid of boredom. I was afraid of rest. I was afraid of anything less than perfection. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much throughout those four years.

SW had also manifested itself in the form of dreams and visions. Both times I was in China with the IMB I heard and saw things that I can only describe as horrific. These things were not real in the sense that they were physically present but they were as real and vivid as anything I have ever seen or heard. I've had dreams of spiritual things that would make any grown man cry. Once, when I was visiting my parents, I woke up in the middle of the night to what felt like someone sitting on my chest. I couldn't breathe. My mouth was open as wide as possible because something was trying to get in. I have no idea how to explain that experience other than to simply say what happened. It was terrifyingly unreal and yet more real than I care to remember.

SW is no walk in the park. It's real and should not be ignored. Praise God I do not suffer from the anxiety that I once did. Satan was clearly using that to make me his slave and torment me in my inadequacy. How did I get control over it? It would be better to say that I gave up control and that's where I found victory. You see I had a pretty limited perception of God's sovereignty. In a nut shell, I was stuck believing that God was only in control during the day when I was awake. I had essentially given over my nights to Satan. I did not recognize that God was still working and moving in the nights just as he was during the day. God does not rest. He does not take naps, coffee breaks, or bathroom breaks. He is constant and does not shift or change....even at night.

So, even though I still feel the attacks from the enemies battalions from time to time, my nights are relatively calm. My fear has subsided because I know that God knows my name. He knows everything there is to know about me. He knows me better than I know myself. He hand crafted my very being together in my mother's womb and that is a fact that I can rest in.

Tonight I will remember that God is not falling asleep along side me. Rather, He is fighting for me and pursuing me even as I dream.

SuperBowl Recipes

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:07:00 +0000

ManDip™ ::

I vaguely remember receiving this recipe from my friends the Fletchers. Thanks guys!

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy Italian sausage. (If you live in Colorado and can access/afford Boulder Sausage you should definitely buy that)
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
2 cans of HOT Rotel

Directions:

Cook sausage over the stove in a non-stick pan. Be sure to break it up so that the chunks aren't too big. Doing this allows for an even amount of sausage in each chip scoop (vitally important.)
Melt the cream cheese in a separate pan and add the UN-DRAINED Rotel.
When the cheese and Rotel are bubbling and maintaining a smooth consistency, add the sausage and the grease from the pan.
Pour it all into a slow cooker set on 'warm.'
Enjoy

*CAUTION: This recipe may cause hair to grow on the consumers chest whether he or she likes it or not.

Rasta Wings ::

I snagged this recipe from my new slow cooker cookbook (this is the book I read before bed most nights)

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wings
3 cups mango nectar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Jerk Seasoning

Directions:

Broil wings on high on a cookie sheet (with a rim) placed in the highest possible oven rack position
When one side is golden brown and crispy, flip the wings and repeat step on the other side
Throw the browned wings in a slow cooker.
Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour evenly over the wings in the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3 hours.

*CAUTION: You will probably eat until you are sick as these are addicting and delicious

Party Rye ::

I got this recipe from my buddy Drew Crowson

Ingredients:

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup shopped green onions or chives
30ish pieces of party rye bread ('party' is code for 'small' apparently)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients (except the bread) in mixing bowl and spread evenly on each piece of party rye
Place bread on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 min at 375
When golden brown, remove from oven, allow to cool, consume.

*NOTE: The rye bread overwhelmed the other flavors so I will use sourdough next time.

Bible in 90

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:05:00 +0000

Julie and I are going to read the Bible in 90 days....straight through....12 pages a day.

Wanna join us?

We are keeping track of our reading with the YouVersion 90 day plan.

If you'd like to mix it up and read a little from each testament each day you are welcome to use the downloadable Zondervan mix-and-match reading plan.

We'll be posting our thoughts about what we read on The Wall and we invite you to do that same!

It all starts this Thursday so get your plan figured out, invite your friends, ans START
READING!

Join us one Facebook for the next three months

The State of the Union Address LIVE

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:55:00 +0000

Watch the State of the Union address LIVE right here @ Peaces!

Spirituality goes to the Dentist

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:17:00 +0000

What do you expect to do when you go to the dentist? Get your teeth cleaned? Me too!

I've had my fair share of strange dentist/doctor experiences but this one was definitely unexpected. I can't say that I've had too many extensive conversations with my dentist since his or her rubberized hands are always shoved half way down my throat and holding sharp things. When I have talked with my dentist it has always been about teeth stuff: "Your gums are gushing....please floss more."

Yesterday, however, I had a very different experience. Somehow my new dentist discover that I'm in seminary and hope to be a pastor someday. As a result of this discovery we spent about 70% of my time there talking about God and faith. Didn't see that coming!

She had all kinds of interesting opinions and thoughts. Although she is committed to her church and Christianity, she never mentioned Jesus and made several comments that were laden with postmodern undertones. I say all that to tell you that I still have no idea where exaclty she stands on all this stuff. What's really important is that she is asking the right questions. She is wrestling with the right issues and she's not afraid to talk about it.

I did a lot of listening and added my opinion and thoughts every now and then. It's amazing how quickly people feel comfortable confiding in one another when the conversation turns to faith. A lot of people are too affraid to bring up faith conversation becuase they think it's going to damage or hinder a potential relationship. As long as we are respectful and polite, we can even go so far as to disagree with people that the relationship wont suffer.

Let's not be too timid about this thing that we say has "transformed our lives." If it's truly changed us, our conversations should reflect that. Yesterday I saw first hand what a simple and relaxed conversation about faith can do. I've been way too timid in the past and I think it's time I changed that.

One of the greatest songs ever written....

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Austin TX

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:21:00 +0000

This place rocks

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What to do about Haiti?

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:12:00 +0000

A 7.0 earthquake rocks the tiny country of Haiti and all I can do is stare. I sifted through some pictures of the aftermath today in awe and thought to myself, "Now what?" Do you ever wonder that? As a follower of Jesus I feel like I should be more prepared and equipped to act than I actually am. I feel incredibly helpless, not because I'm so far away but because I literally cannot think of what I would do if I was there.

I guess I'd bandage wounds when I had the chance and try to find food and water for those that needed it. Maybe I'd start a pick up soccer game to help the kids get their mind of the horror they just experienced. I might even try to bring seperated families back together. But every time I think of what I would do I find myself shaking my head and saying, "that's not enough." We can send money, people, resources, helicopters and aid but that wont change the fact that the most violent earthquake in 200 years ransacked Haiti on January 12th, 2010.

Please forgive me if my words make you feel hopeless, helpless and out of control but the truth is, you are. We all are. Isaiah 40:8 says, "the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord endures forever." This is all temporary and it's fading quickly. Compared with the infinitude of the Almighty God, our lives are like a breath. Sometimes it's OK to sink into the helplessness in situations like this. That is not to say that we shouldn't take action to help those in need. But take a second, let the dust settle. Allow this tragedy to sober you.

We are so busy running around chasing promotions, relationships, success, the American dream, degrees, ministry stuff, etc., that we often times miss priceless opportunities like these. Sometimes it takes a 7.0 earthquake to rip the blinders from your eyes so you can see what is really happening. Sometimes it is events like this one that allow us to see more clearly than ever before how little control we actually have. We are so small and yet so loved by Something so big.

So what do we do?

We pray expectantly. We pray that God would be glorified in this tragedy and that somehow the name of Jesus would become more famous. We do this without doubt because we trust and rest in the sovereignty of our Father.

We do what we can. If you text "HAITI" to 90999 you automatically donate $10 to the cause (the amount shows up on your phone bill). World Vision is taking donations and will surely make an impact with every dime given. Can you imagine the number of instant orphans after an event like this? What better time to adopt a Haitian child through World Vision or Compassion? Send clothes, food, money, yourself, letters, first aid supplies, whatever you can.

We keep on keeping on. This isn't an issue that will correct itself over night. Port-au-Prince will never be the same. It will take years to rebuild. Our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and this will be old news in a week for a lot of people. Don't quit on those people! They need us to do what we can for as long as we can.

Remember, we aren't even capable of loving these people aside from the grace given to us by our Creator. Trust Him as you go and make a difference in Haiti.

Dallas Willard :: Day 5

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Today was a fantastic wrap up to an amazing week with Dallas Willard. As I said in my first post about all this, I hardly knew who Willard until I met him this past Monday. Upon my arrival home today I told my wife that I will never lead or teach the same way again. I plan on being a pastor of some sort in the next year and a half and I can't imagine trying to do that without the stuff Willard crammed into my brain and heart this past week. Praise God for that man!

Today was simple. Willard walked us through the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). Per usual, I'll share a little bit and then just let you read my notes from the day if you really want to go that far. I'm pretty sure I got about 6 single spaced pages today to watch yourself.

It is so very important that we read through the Sermon on the Mount while keeping in mind that Jesus was not presenting a to-do list. The things listed there are things that we will do as we take on the character of Christ. Willard pointed out how important the order of the sermon was for the audience and even to us. Jesus spends a significant amount of time on sex and violence because those are both things that allow us to rule our own kingdom independently from His. Without learning to control those two things the following issues that Jesus discusses will be very difficult to understand and practice.

Willard also reiterated that "the Kingdom of the Heavens goes all the way to the ground." We have a very dangerous and impractical view of heaven. We assume that it is far away and a long time from now. In fact, the word "heaven" referred to three different places. From what I understand, there is the realm of the earth, the sky and solar system, and the place where the angels and God dwell. Willard posits that Jesus' references to the heavens includes the here and now. This is very significant for Christian living because it does not allow salvation to be in the future and far away. Instead, salvation is here and salvation is now. Willard challenged us to think about how we talk about salvation with people. We usually promote salvation as having the benefit of future salvation to heaven after death. But if heaven is both then and now shouldn't we help people enter the immediate heaven (God's present Kingdom)? That would change lives!

Willard presented three options for Christian progress:

1. Try hard to live up to the commandments
2. Live in defeat, call it brokenness and rest on forgiveness by grace
3. **Progress toward the character and power of Christ by indirection: discipleship, and active grace with disciplines, in the process of spiritual formation toward Christ-likeness

The third is clearly the most healthy and biblical. We will ourselves to do the "right thing" or ask ourselves "what would Jesus do?" when we should be focusing on being Jesus' apprentice and seeking out his character. The "doing" of the matter will take care of itself if we do that. It will be more difficult not to do what Jesus did if we begin to take on His character!

Willard talked a lot about knowledge today as well. Christians are known for their faith and not their knowledge. In fact, we are known for taking leaps of faith to believe in God. Willard reminded us that our faith is rather worthless without knowledge. I can believe that there is a diamond in my pocket all day long but if there is not diamond in there, my beliefs are incorrect. However, if what I believe is in fact true and can be understood with knowledge, my belief is correct. Furthermore, when our beliefs are based on knowledge we have the right and the responsibility to act on them. When a man or woman achieves his or her EMT certification it is their right and responsibility to use that cert to save lives. Once we obtain knowledge about God and our beliefs we are responsible to teach it to others.

This is significant for all those folks out there that think theology is a waste of time. Until your knowledge leads you to an understanding of God and His Word, you are hanging on a mere belief with nothing real to stand on. You want to love God and love others and that's it? How the heck are you going to love something you know nothing about? Let's not forget that our capacity to love others comes completely from the grace of God to begin with. So, we really can't love them very well either unless we know at least a little bit about the God that supplies that love to begin with. Knowledge should not scare us. It also shouldn't drive us. We are to be driven by love and gaining knowledge along the way. Learning, academia, theology, knowledge, intelligence, are not bad things. Yet, for some reason, some people are under the notion that they are unnecessary. False. Your belief isn't worth much at all without them

Here are my notes from today

Whattaya think?

Dallas Willard :: Day 4

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:58:00 +0000

I turned to my buddy towards the end of class today and asked him if there was anything coming out of my ears. I think my brain is melting....

On the syllabus this class is referred to as "intensive." I would like to edit that and insert "insane." God is so good and has allowed Willard to understand things in his lifetime that could forever the landscape of Christianity and spiritual formation.

We spent a lot of time today exploring the nature and substance of the will. We were talking through William Jame's work again so things got a little difficult. I have never studied much psychology but I think I'd like to after reading James' work. From what I gathered, James submits that the will is formed and compiled primarily from ideas. Based on our discussion from yesterday, we often times act impulsively from our ideas without thinking. A fiat, however, is when we allow a thought to change the idea and therefore potentially change the action. Disciplining ourselves to avoid sin means being conscious and aware of ideas from which we act impulsively and sinfully. Now, it is silly to expect ourselves to think a full and deliberative thought before every action. So it is important for us to evaluate ideas are fueling our sin issues and focus on those. Eve had an incorrect idea of God's character (that He could not be trusted) and acted impulsively from that idea without taking time to think through the absurdity of that idea.

Character plays into all of this too. Character is nothing more than habitual will; it is will that has sunken into habit. When Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear he said something like, "that was out of character for me." Actually, is was a direct reflection of his character. Tyson had been entertaining certain ideas long enough to form a will that, when sunken in, developed a character that enticed him to bit someone. He was acting out of who he really was, out of his character.

Can you imagine what disciples of Jesus would look like if they understood a little bit of this stuff? We should quit focusing on doing what Jesus did (which is naturally against our character and uncomfortable, by the way) and start focusing on shifting our character to be more like Him. This of course begins with changing individual ideas (with fiat-like thoughts) to correct our actions, and form a Jesus-like will which will in turn develop and sink into a Christ-like character. Sound tough? It will be. I know I've been going about this all wrong and it's going to take a long time to change my habits and perspective to even begin to change me character. Nonetheless this is what Willard calls The Great Omission from The Great Commission. We like the "make disciples" part and the "baptize" part but we ignore the "teaching them to do everything I've commanded you" part.

The things that Jesus teaches in Matthew 5 do not amount to a to-do list; rather, they compile to form a to-be list. Do you see it? Jesus was showing us what we would be like when we put on His character. Matthew 5 forms a to-be list when shorn of its legalism.

Willard continued by explaining some things about the Kingdom of Heaven. We always translate that to mean heaven or the place we go when we die. Yet, Jesus constantly said that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. That makes it a reality and means that it is here, right now. Granted, we are only seeing a glimpse of it but it's here nonetheless. When we realize that we have a kingdom of our own and that Jesus calls us to integrate our kingdom with His Kingdom we enter into salvation and begin to take on Jesus' character. The result of all this will be the things that Jesus commanded. Spiritual disciplines are ways that we can focus on specific areas of our character to make ourselves more like Christ. Going out and doing things for our neighbor is practically useless outside of the character of Christ.

One more thing and I'll quit and let you just read my notes at the bottom. Willard talked about poverty today. He touched on some stuff that has bothered me for a long time and for that I am very grateful. I'll write more about this later so please excuse the brevity. Willard posited that being poor is not virtuous in and of itself. For some reason we are beginning to envy the poor instead of pity them. Although poverty bears with it several imposed disciplines that may be helpful, it was never meant to be a desirable thing. Furthermore, Jesus was not the poor man that we like to make Him out to be. He wasn't rolling in cash either but He had everything He needed and more. Poverty is not dependant upon ownership but on accessibility. Willard reminded us that Mother Teresa was immediately flown to a fantastic hospital the second she was ill while a pregnant and single mother in LA had to take three buses and a taxi just to get across town to the free clinic. Mother Teresa was not poor because she had access to things. Does that diminish her ministry in Calcutta? I sure hope not.

This sheds light on some of the frustrations I experienced when I lived in a tent. I remember thinking on several occasions, "I've sold all my furniture, I live in a tent, I cook over a fire, but I'm not poor." Even in taking a temporary vow of poverty I couldn't get away from the fact that I had access to whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. I could have had a roof over my head, real food, furniture, etc. at the snap of my fingers. Can I help that I have access to that stuff? Nope. Again, I'll write more about this later.

Thoughts?

Here are my notes from today

Dallas Willard :: Day 3

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:17:00 +0000

We're getting practical baby!

If you know me you know that, although I know the theoretical is necessary to achieve the practical, I LOVE being able answer the question, "so what?" Today we started answering that question. In fact, we are all practicing a certain spiritual discipline right now while we are taking the class! The topics for today were primarily disciplines and discipleship. Here are a few highlighted things I drew from the experience. There is a link to me complete notes below.

Willard began today with a little bit about identity. We are never ceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in God's great universe. As spiritual beings in the Kingdom of God we have access to the riches of the King. This is where the beatitudes in Matthew 5 stem from. The poor in spirit are not blessed because they are poor in spirit. They are blessed because the Kingdom of heaven is theirs. Those who mourn are not blessed because they mourn but because they have wonderful access to comfort. Could it be that the things awarded to those listed in the beatitudes are available to all of us who are saved and Jesus was simply pointing how how certain benefits are more beneficial to certain people because of their need? He never says an impoverished spirit is a stipulation for receiving the Kingdom. We are blessed because we have access to the riches of the King through faith in Christ. Amen.

Perhaps the most practical statement Willard made all day was, "When engaging in the process of spiritual formation one must begin with the thoughts and body." In this section we discussed William James' work on habit. We talked about the psychological and physiological process our brain goes through as we develop habits. In short, a habit is an action that we take without going through the logical process we initially did to conclude that that action was in fact correct. The author of Deep Survival explained it with the issue of hunger. If you are watching TV and realize you are hungry you don't start chewing on the remote and after realizing it is not satisfying move to the couch cushion and then finally make it to the refrigerator where, after discovering the handle is not very delicious, you find that there is left over pizza in the fridge. No, you know that there is food in the fridge and that this food is satisfying to your hunger. So you skip the steps leading up to finding that food and move to your habitual response to hunger.

The spirit of the disciplines is developed similarly. Practicing Christ-likeness is not merely about doing what Jesus did but becoming the sort of person that would do what Jesus did. If we practice discipline in spiritual areas and develop habits in those areas using our thoughts and bodies, we will respond the ways Jesus did to the situations we encounter. It's like home owners insurance in a way. I hope and pray that our house never burns down and the likelihood is, it never will. However, if by chance it did burn down our insurance company would pay for it. Similarly, when I develop a healthy spiritual habit of praying about every decision I make, big or small, I will eventually go to God in prayer instinctively instead of having to think about it and make myself do it. When the fire comes, so to speak, I'll be ready with my spiritual insurance. Moreover, what you do without thinking is a direct reflection of your character. So what we do habitually and without thought or force is a reflection of who we really are. Habits are character forming. We must seek to be like Christ in character, not merely actions.

Among many other things Willard broke down the fruit of the spirit for us. He began five in particular:

Peace :: essentially rest in goodness
Joy :: a pervasive and firmly established sense of well-being
Hope :: confident anticipation of good
Faith :: readiness to act as if the goodness presupposed in hope is real and reliable
Love :: the engagement of the will for what is good

The rest are simply the result of these five. Furthermore, peace, joy and hope are where Willard recommended we direct people first. In a way, they are the goal of spiritual discipline. If we are not seeing peace, joy, hope and then the others as a result, the discipline we are practicing is not working and we need to reevaluate it.

Here are my notes from today

More

Thankful for: Practicality

Dallas Willard :: Day 2

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:47:00 +0000

Today was another phenomenal day with Dr. Willard. The topic for today: LOVE

I guess I kind of thought I understood love until today. I'm married to a woman I love. I'm studying a God that I love. I'm pursuing a life and goals that I love. I found today that love is far more vast and wonderfully complex than I ever could have imagined. Willard opened the class today with this statement: "You love something if your will is set to promote its good." This statement takes on far more significance when we consider what he said yesterday about the will. The will is something that can develop. It con develop with a good bent or a bad one. The will is more or less the compilation of the desires and intentions of our heart. So, poising our will to seek the good of those things that we love will take time, discipline, effort and perseverance. Fascinating.

Willard went on to discuss what it means for God to be love as is stated in 1 John 4. It is dangerous to say that love is God before having a healthy and solid grasp on the fact that God is love. I'm still processing this so bear with me. In short, we are the product of love (not just our parent's but more so our heavenly Father's ;) and as a products of love we are then equipped to love by His Spirit. I've heard people say many times that the world loves better than the church. We get frustrated because we equate good deeds with love when, in fact, love and deeds are not to be equated with one another. Good deeds may be a result of love but they are not one in the same. God is love. Those who have God have love in it's pure and complete form.

Moreover, only God is capable of unconditional love. We are limited in our love as a result of our finitude. God, in His infinitude, can love perfectly and unconditionally. Our ability and tendency to love is entirely dependant upon God graciously enabling us to love. Praise God for that!

Willard explained to us what it meant to love our neighbor. He writes, "The first major step in becoming one of those who love their neighbor as themselves is to decide to live compassion." This is only possible if we receive the person of compassion: Jesus Christ. "Your next major step is to decide on who your neighbors are." Willard informed us that this should not be a huge list. Granted, we are to help those in need and never avoid helping just because someone isn't on our list. However, there should be a small group of people that we love and care for on a regular basis. Bonus: the more people on that list that cannot reciprocate our love for them the better.

Both today and yesterday Willard emphasized the difference between our kingdom and God's Kingdom. As it develops in my brain and heart, I'm starting to like this display of the gospel more than any other. We have a kingdom and so does God. Salvation happens by our entering into God's Kingdom. It's that simple. We surrender that which we love, cherish and worship and exchange those things for the glory of God by grace through faith. Boom. Good news huh?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this

Here are my notes for today

Thankful for: LOVE

Dallas Willard :: Day 1

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:14:00 +0000

When the announcement was made that Dallas Willard would be teaching a class at Denver Seminary in January 2010 I wasn't nearly as excited as everyone else seemed to be. It wasn't because I didn't like Willard but more because I didn't really know who he was. It was another one of those I-have-a-public-school-background moments that I have so often at the Sem. As time went on, however, I did a little homework on Willard and realized what he had done for Christendom in general and specifically spiritual formation. I became a fan rather quickly.

Today was our first class with wise Willard and I have to say I'm becoming a bigger fan by the minute here. Since typing out everything I drew from today would fill way too much space, I'll stick to highlighting a few points that were the most moving and penetrating.

1. Willard rewrote the Great Commission by getting rid of words like "disciples" and "commanded" to make us think more deeply about what Jesus was actually calling us to do. We are called to make apprentices of Jesus by teaching them how to do what He did. This is significant because it means we are to make far more than simple converts to Christianity. In fact, Willard pointed out that "Christian" is only used 3 times in the Bible whereas "disciple" is used many times. "Disciple" and "apprentice" carry far heavier implications than does "Christian." This alteration is also significant because it helps us see that Jesus never intended for us to simply tell people to do stuff. Rather, He commissioned us to teach people how to do stuff. Telling people to turn the other cheek is far different from teaching someone how to. It's a different animal entirely.

2. Willard spent a significant amount of time discussing the different "gospels" we hear and teach. He highlighted the three below:

1. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be in heaven in the afterlife if you believe that Jesus suffered for your sins. (Most preachers preach this gospel. We don’t know how to bring people to decisions without using this particular gospel.)

2. Jesus died to liberate the oppressed, and you can stand with Him in battle

3. Do what your church says and it will see to it that you are received by God

He then presented this fourth option as the best for making apprentices to Jesus:

4. Put your confidence in Jesus and live with him as his disciple now in the present kingdom of God. (Matt 6:33, Rom 8:1-14, Col 1:13 and 3:1-4, John 3:1-8)

He stressed the phrase "trust Jesus." It's simple and may sound as though it's lacking some but if we take time to unpack it, this phrase is the central idea found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. On a similar topic, Willard discussed the difference between a heaven focused salvation and a lifestyle focused salvation. If the salvation of people is limited to only heaven as our reward, we miss the transformational power of Jesus for today. If, however, we allow Jesus to drastically train, teach and guide us before heaven, we will experience life abundant and fulfill the purpose for which He created us. Salvation is both for now and eternity.

4. Willard touched on the idea of character development and it's part in spiritual formation. He divided up the person into a body, spirit, soul, mind, will and social relations and then explained how they coincide to form the person and effect one's character. "Character is who you are without trying." In his book The Spirit of the Disciplines Willard debunks the myth that we should simply ask "What would Jesus do?" and then do that thing. It's like watching a professional baseball player in a game and holding the bat the same way, using the same glove and spitting in order to achieve the athletic ability of that player. In actuality, that player is so good because he practices everyday. His actions in the game were a result of what he did with the other 20 hours of each day, not what he did in the game. In the same way, we try to emulate what Jesus did instead of attempting to take on the very nature and character of Christ. When we change our character to be like Christ's character we wont be able to help but do that which Jesus did. In fact is would be difficult to do anything else!

Today was fantastic. Please add your thoughts or questions to some of these things in the comment section below. I'd love to here what you think.

Here are my notes from today

Thankful for: Dallas Willard, The Hideaway.

Thoughts on Avatar

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:56:00 +0000

What happens when you combine Fern Gully, Last of the Mohicans, and The Matrix? AVATAR

First of all, regardless of how you felt about the plot line of the film, you cannot possibly deny the ground breaking visual stimulation you experienced during Avatar. It could have been a silent film and I would still have been enthralled. Even more incredible is way in which this film was conceived. In this case, the egg came before the chicken. Director James Cameron wrote the script in 1995. After reviewing it as a whole, he realized that the technology for making such a film simply didn't exist yet. Most technologically advanced films are birthed because some new technology is created and someone wants to use it. In the case of Avatar, the technology was developed for the sake of the film, not the other way around.

Political Themes:

The American Military bashing wasn't exactly subtle. A 7 year old could have picked that out of the movie. There were definitely some truths to what was implied but there wasn't a single positive reference to Americans in general as far as I could tell. I like to think we're not all terribly rotten war mongers. Maybe I'm wrong.

Of all the people on planet earth Americans were chosen to represent money hungry consumers. My opinion: spot on. No one can deny the rampant and incurable consumerism in our country. Money is our avatar. We embody it and use it to do anything we want to do.

Environmental Themes:

Avatar shared the exact same environmental agenda as Fern Gully: nature is alive and interconnected (Pantheism) and we are murders. Interstingly, Avatar only portrays the remorseless as murderers. If we take from the interconnectivity of life and do not apologize or feel sorry, we are wrong. However, if an apology is made to the dead thing than everything is cool and not one's feelings are hurt. First of all, I don't buy into Pantheism. I get why people subscribe to it...it's easy. If everything is God and everything is intertwined and connected then we are God and have some kind of relationship to everything. It's impossible romanticism. I don't think cutting down a tree makes us murderers.

On the other hand, if we take the perspective that God gave us this planet to cultivate, manage and steward, we should not be so cavalier about ruining it. That said, environmentalism for the sake of popularity or trendiness is perhaps the stupidest thing I've ever heard of on my life. If you believe in taking care of the planet, do it. If going green is your fun new way to participate in pop culture, get over yourself.

Avatar made everyone ask themselves the deep questions that Jack Handy once asked: "If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down?"

Humanist Themes:

This theme is exactly like Last of the Mohicans and subtly makes those with some knowledge of American history think of the way the settlers treated the Native Americans. This is definitely a stain in our history but does making a film about it really offer reparation for it? I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish by adding that to the plot. "Hey, remember that time when you guys were jerks? Well, I'm going make sure you keep remembering...so there."

I think there was a really important theme of loyalty throughout. The Na'vi were a family no matter what. Even when someone they didn't like was officially accepted, they took care of him even if it was begrudgingly. The Americans each had their own agenda. They were each all about what was best for them. Even Jake Sully was ultimately in it for a chance to walk. Our American individualism makes us weak. We have no reason to depend upon each other or God, so we don't. We just assume life will be far less complicated if we just go it alone. There might be some truth to that but along with complication comes growth, maturity, rewards and comradery.

Overall, the movie was excellent. The themes were far from subtle and they made their point with out much difficulty. Some themes were good, some were rather pointless but they were all intertwined into the movie pretty well. Most importantly, I want to go to Pandora so bad. I wonder if our new earth will like Pandora?

Snikau Peak

hoagnathan@yahoo.com (Nathan) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:02:00 +0000

at the top of snikau peak near a-basin. what beautiful things our God has made!

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